Initiatives from change

Hello. This is Yamada from the Akihabara branch.

Recently, I have witnessed the power of change through the Hyogo Prefectural Gubernatorial election and the US presidential election, which has led me to think about change, initiative, and leadership in organizations.

Change is a powerful step to rethink the current situation and build a new future. It requires energy and may involve temporary confusion, but the process will generate initiative and new leaders. This is true for society, organizations, and individual growth.

Hyogo Prefectural Gubernatorial Election Shows Citizen Independence
In the Hyogo Prefectural Gubernatorial election held in the fall of 2024, many voters cast their votes with the desire to "break away from vested interests and change Hyogo Prefecture." By casting their vote in the hope of change, they are generating interest in prefectural government, which in turn is helping to foster a sense of autonomy among the prefecture's residents.
I believe that many people voted for Governor Saito this time because they were inspired in the short term by his story of turnaround. However, looking at the bigger picture from a long-term perspective, I believe that as more prefectural residents start thinking about how to improve this region and what is needed next, leaders will emerge and a new movement for the future will begin.

The chain of change as seen in America
Looking back at American history, the country's direction has changed dramatically every time a new president is appointed. This change requires an enormous amount of energy and often causes temporary confusion and conflict. However, in the process, the people demonstrate their initiative, exchange opinions, and nurture the next leader.
Especially in the United States, which has a short history, the emphasis is on "building a better future" rather than "maintaining the status quo." I believe that this approach creates a sense of autonomy for the entire country and creates an environment that produces the leaders needed for each era.

Implementing change in organizations
The examples of the Hyogo Prefectural Governor election and the US Presidential election provide hints that can also be applied to developing leaders in organizations. When you want to develop new or mid-level employees into leaders, there is a high possibility that managers will undermine their initiative by simply forcing "old ways" on them.

In order to produce leaders, it is important to put change into practice. It is important to create an environment where team members can take action and say, "Let's try to change the situation ourselves." Specifically, we believe that the following initiatives are effective:

• Give newcomers a chance to decide the direction of the project
• Encourage experimentation with new methods rather than the old ones
• Cultivate a culture that values ​​challenges without fear of failure

By fostering autonomy, new leaders will naturally emerge. I believe that these leaders will then have the power to bring about change and lead the organization in a better direction.

In order to develop leaders, you must first be unafraid of change and start practicing fostering initiative in small teams. This will be the first step to bringing about big change in the entire organization.